Dawes-man

I've looked out some more photos of Japanese frames, not all top quality.

First off, a pair of frames in the window of a shop down the road.

Level - a popular track bike since the 80s and still so. In order for a frame to be used in Keirin track racing it has to be made by an extant company so the frame is warranted by that company. Katakura Silk was the most popular frame in the 70s but when they stopped making frames in the late 80s Level took over. This one was parked when a car ran into it. If you look carefully you can see a kink in the top tube just behind the hear tube:

[IMG]
IMG_6207 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

Katakura Silk - Next to the Level in the window is a 70s Katakura Silk track frame, too rusty to ride - I love the metallic green colour:

[IMG]
IMG_6208 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

Sekine - not a lightweight but I think interesting none the less. This is a late-50s sports bike. All the nuts bear the Sekine logo, as was normal for Japanese machines did back then:

[IMG]
IMG_4225 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]
IMG_4232 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]
IMG_4235 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]
IMG_4242 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

I'll dig out some more later...

randyjawa 

Early Japanese bikes are few and far between in Thunder Bay. I have run across an early Sekine GS, actually two of them, and a slightly lesser model which I still have also.

The construction is crude, to say the least but the bikes are nice enough and certainly comparable to European mounts of the day, in many respects. My opinion, of course...

Dawes-man

Another Silk track bike, from the 60s, this time. Sorry about the photo quality but I only had my mobile with me. This features cottered cranks:

[IMG]
SA3A0014 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]
SA3A0015 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]
SA3A0020 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

Another Silk, this time a later one, a early 80s road bike, that I restored for a friend:

[IMG]
Finished, outside Narushima Friend, a popular racing bike shop in Harajuku, Tokyo by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

And a 1970s 3Rensho track bike:

[IMG]
IMG_1583 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

SteveE

Dawes-man -

There must be more than one Romani, then. Mine was purchased from Mel Pinto Imports in 1981 and says it was made in Italia "dal 1924" and is Columbus tubing..

- Steve

Dawes-man

Then perhaps the Romani I saw wasn't Japanese at all. I've just looked at the photo again and I see there are international rings on the seat tube, which I understand means the maker's frames have been ridden by winners in international competitions. If that was the case, I'm sure Romani would be a bigger name here.

The guy with the Romani was one of a group of old geezers on Amanda, Hirose and Futaba framed machines. Not having heard of Romani, I assumed it was another Japanese make I hadn't heard of.

I'm sorry if I have have wrongly piqued your interest.